Thermal Sprayed Parallel Heating Device for Complex Geometries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric heating systems, such as heating films and wires, face limitations in heating complex geometries due to serial current flow, leading to inefficiencies and potential system failure, while parallel current flow systems are restricted to less curved, two-dimensional surfaces.
Innovation Solution
An electric heating device utilizing a thermal spraying process to create electrically conductive components that facilitate a parallel current flow perpendicular to the heating layer, allowing for complex three-dimensional surface heating with improved damage resistance and homogeneous temperature distribution, and an automated production method.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heating films or wires with serial current flow are used, then any surface area can be heated, but the system fails completely upon damage and geometric flexibility is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The heating layer is divided into multiple independently functional heating zones or elements arranged in parallel. Each zone can operate independently, so damage to one zone does not cause complete system failure. This segmentation allows the system to maintain partial functionality and provides redundancy, directly addressing the reliability issue while preserving geometric flexibility through the distributed parallel structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental electrical configuration parameter from serial to parallel current flow. This parameter change transforms the system's behavior: in parallel configuration, each heating element receives full voltage independently, allowing continuous operation of undamaged elements even when others fail. This parameter change simultaneously improves reliability and enables complex geometric arrangements without the constraints of serial circuit requirements.
2Manufacturing precision
If heating films with constant current path length are used, then simple rectangular geometries can be realized, but complex geometries require considerable design effort and produce inhomogeneous temperature distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The heating layer is segmented into multiple parallel heating elements or zones, each with its own current path. This segmentation allows each element to be optimized independently for uniform temperature distribution, while the parallel arrangement collectively covers complex geometries. The segmentation eliminates the need to maintain constant current path length across the entire heating area, reducing design complexity for complex shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional planar heating elements to three-dimensional spatial arrangement of parallel heating zones. This dimensional change allows the heating system to conform to complex three-dimensional surfaces while maintaining uniform temperature distribution through the parallel configuration, which provides design flexibility across multiple spatial dimensions rather than being constrained to simple rectangular geometries.
3Reliability
If parallel current flow systems are used, then damage resistance improves, but the system is restricted to less curved, two-dimensional surface areas
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is segmented into multiple parallel heating elements that can be independently arranged and configured. This segmentation allows the parallel current flow architecture to be adapted to complex three-dimensional surfaces by distributing elements across curved geometries, eliminating the restriction to flat two-dimensional surfaces while maintaining the damage resistance benefits of parallel configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The parallel current flow system is designed with universal applicability through modular heating elements that can be configured for various surface geometries. The system serves multiple functions: it provides damage resistance through parallel architecture while simultaneously adapting to complex three-dimensional surfaces through flexible element arrangement, making it universally applicable to diverse heating applications rather than being restricted to specific surface types.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient heating of complexly shaped surfaces with high insensitivity to damage and uniform temperature distribution, overcoming the limitations of existing systems by allowing current flow in a parallel circuit configuration.
Implementation Method 1
a fundamental feature of the present invention is that a thermal spraying process is used to produce at least one electrically conductive component and arrange it on the heating layer
Implementation Method 2
The application areas of electric panel heaters are very varied... The heating systems that are currently used as standard are generally layable heating films or heating wires
Data Source
AI summary
An electric heating device (20) is described which has at least one first electrically conductive component (21), at least one heating layer (22) and at least one second electrically conductive component (23). According to the invention, it is envisaged that the first electrically conductive component (21) and/or the second electrically conductive component (23) is/are produced and/or arranged on the heating layer (22) by means of a thermal spraying process. Alternatively or additionally, according to the invention, it is envisaged that the electrically conductive components (21, 23) and the heating layer (22) are arranged with respect to one another in such a way that a current flow perpendicularly to the plane of the heating layer (22) and/or in the direction of the plane of the heating layer (22) is realized or can be realized. In order to produce an assembly (10), such a heating device (20) can preferably be arranged on a substrate element (11). Furthermore, a suitable production method is described.